Neither... or?

[butterfly]

'Neither SG-1 or Stargate Command will never be the same when a new member joins the team.'
(their sentence about season nine -- emphasis mine)

Sorry, what? That's not only a double negative, it's also just plain bad writing. Question -- is it worth it to write into Gateworld and mention something like that?

Alternatives that make more sense:
SG-1 and Stargate Command will never be the same after a new member joins the team.

Neither SG-1 nor Stargate Command will ever be the same after a new member joins the team.

After a new member joins the team, SG-1 and Stargate Command will never be the same.

A new member joins the team; SG-1 and Stargate Command will never be the same.

Comments

[not-fledged-yet.livejournal.com]

*reads through several times*

At first I thought that said "Neither SG-1 or Stargate Command will ever be the same when a new member joins the team." which, as a descriptivist, I was willing to forgive. But "neither...or...never" is going a bit far.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Right, it's the combination of all three that made me throw my hands up in despair. I can forgive the 'neither... or' construction (just barely, as they have the repeated example of Daniel's "Neither here nor there" in the series, for crying out loud), but putting in 'never' ruins my suspension of disbelief.

Jack would have something to say about their abuse of the language, believe you me.

[jic]

*nods emphatically*

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Abuse of the language is just so wrong, because it can't hit back, you know.

[deifire]

*reads sentence*

Ow.

That's so bad it's painful. At the very least, someone should be notified that an 'n' has wandered away from home and is now hanging out with the wrong word.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

They should. I'm just not sure how to word that without sounding like I'm saying that I think they're ignorant or unobservant.

Which I don't.

Not really.

Oh, I do, I suppose.

[luminosity]

So. The team's getting a new member then? And things are gonna change?

:)

*grins back*

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Dude? Did you just say that they're getting a new member on the team? Where did you hear such shocking news?

I'm more surprised than I was when I heard that Buffy was coming back to life in S6 of BtVS. Or when I heard that Spike was going to be on the S5 box of Angel dvds. You shouldn't spring such surprising news on a person. What if I had a weak heart?

Wow. I wonder if things'll change. What with a new team member and all.

[falchionofseals.livejournal.com]

DRIZZT DO'URDEN RULES!!!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

He does. Indeed.

[elz.livejournal.com]

The grammar, it pains me.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It's pretty bad. Jack would make ruthless fun of them.